The Tribune



HAVE you ever read the entire Bible? Have you ever planned to do so but simply lacked the discipline to do it? Would you like to make this year the year you read the entire Bible? Would you like to have the support of others who have decided to make 2014 their year to read the entire Bible?
Then the Lamplighters programme is perfect for you.

Lamplighters is a read-through-the-bible incentive programme to help individuals who wish to read the entire Bible to do so in one calendar year.

Participants follow a daily reading plan that requires no more than 7 to 10 minutes commitment each day.
The Lamplighter programme was launched at Grace Community Church, Palmetto Village, Nassau, in January 1995.

The name was derived from Psalm 119:105 which states, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path”.

The programme was inspired by Elder Emeritus Herbert Treco and Marjorie Treco.

At the time of the programme’s launch, both were annual readers of the entire Bible and had each done so for more than 30 years.

Leroy ‘Tinkle’ Hanna, Associate Pastor of Outreach, determined that such an example should be replicated and developed Lamplighters to encourage the church’s members to make the annual reading of the Bible a personal goal.

About fifty persons took on the challenge that year and many successfully completed.

Since that time, hundreds have taken the challenge.
Anyone can join the programme. It is free and offers several alternatives to help participants to track their daily readings.

In fact, if you own a smart phone or have access to the internet, there are numerous one year Bible reading programmes you can access for free including audio Bibles if your preference is listening over reading.

Again it requires only a seven to 10 minutes commitment.
Programme directors, Giorgio and Lyric Knowles say there are four plans available from which persons wishing to take on the Lamplighter Challenge may choose and they are:
Plan 1: The Lamplighters Standard: Reading through the entire Bible, Old and The New Testaments.
Plan 2: Lamplighter Lite: Participants may choose Lamplighter New Testament, designed to take them through the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. Or they may choose Lamplighters Old Testament which takes them through the Old Testament only.
Plan 3: Lamplighter Fast Track: Participants may choose to fast track their readings and finish in six months by doubling your daily readings.
Plan 4: Lamplighter Kids: A programme specifically designed for young children to get them into the habit of Bible reading. In this programme, children are provided with very short passages of scripture accompanied by a worksheet where they have an activity associated with the passage.
Lyric Hanna said: “The goal of Lamplighters is to encourage as many persons from our community to become consistent Bible readers. We hope to encourage one thousand people to take up the challenge this year.”
Giorgio Knowles said: “It is important to note that while Lamplighters is a programme of Grace Community Church, participants need not be members or followers of the church to be registered as a Lamplighter and gain the benefits associated with it.”

The programme directors stressed there are no meetings to attend and no affiliation beyond the point of registering you interest to read the Bible in one of their reading programmes”.